Mail-bag catcher and deliverer.



No. 831, 38. PATENTED SEPT.18, 1906..

' W. A. HORRALL.

MAIL BAG CATGHER AND DBLIVERBR- APPLICATION FILED JUNE 15. 1906.

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WITNESSES: I [/VVENTOR,

64am A TTOANE Y5 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM A. HORRALL, OF COLORADO SPRINGS, COLORADO, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-FOURTH TO THEODORE LIAM F. CARROLL, AND ONE-FOURTH H. PEABODY, ONE-FOURTH TO WIL- TO JOHN M. HARNAN,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 18, 1906.

Application filed June 15, 1906. Serial No 321,928.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM A. HORRALL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Colorado Springs, in the county of El Paso and State of Colorado, have invented a new and useful Mail-Bag Catcher and Deliverer, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to mail-bag catchers of a type disclosed in my United States Patent No. 756,498, dated April 5, 1904.

The objects of the invention are to improve and simplify the prior construction, particularly in regard to the bag-delivery means on the car.

A further object of the invention is to provide simple means for reversing the deflectorframe, so that it will operate properly when the car is moving in either direction.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of invention herein disclosed. can be made within the scope of the following claims without departing from the spirit of the invention or sacrificing any of its advantages.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, Figure 1 1s a perspec tive view showing a portion of a car and a portion of a road-bed equipped with the improvements of the present invention. Fig. 2 is a detailed plan view of the deflector-frame.

Like reference letters and numerals indicate corresponding parts in the different figures of the drawings.

The mail-bag crane which I prefer to use (designated generally by A) consists of a lower section 1 and an upper section 2, said sections being suitably hinged together, as indicated at 3, and provided with a locking device 4, which may be of any suitable form and construction.

The lower section 1 instead of being embedded in the ground, as usual, preferably'is fitted into a mail-bag receptacle B and is suitably secured thereto by means such as the bolts 6.

Itis one of the objects of my inven tion to secure the mail-bag receptacle either to the sleepers of the road-bed or to one of the steel rails. The means which I employ for combining thereceptacle B with the roadbed consists of a horizontal flange 7, which extends over the adjacent sleepers 8 of the road-bed and is suitably secured thereto by means such as the bolts 9, said flange being also secured to the steel rail 13 by means of the bolts 14.

It will be understood that mail-catching devices are usually installed at a large number of small stations along a railway. For this reason it is of course desirable that the mail-catcher be installed at the lowest possi- I ble cost. In using my improved arrangement, wherein the crane A is mounted inv the receptacle B and said receptacle B is suitably combined with or attached to the roadbed, by which is meant either the sleepers or the steel rail, or both, it is found that the cost of installing the mail-catcher is materially reduced, as the receptacles and cranes can be manufactured at one central point i and shipped to their destination, after which it is only necessary to spike or bolt the receptacle B to the road-bed, as shown.

The upper section 2 of the crane A is provided with an inwardly-extending bag-sustaining arm 10, which is provided with oppositely-extending bag-receiving fingers 11. The upper section 2 is also provided with a suitable cam member 12, the forward edge of whichpreferably is V-shaped in form.

The mail-car, which is designated generally by C, is formed with the usual side opening or door 16. Secured to opposite sides of the door 16 is a pair of brackets 17 18, having perforated end lugs 19. Pivotally connected with one of the brackets 17 18 is a curved defiector-frame, (designated generally by D,) said frame being readily detachable from the l bracket by the withdrawal of the pivot-bolt l 20. The brackets 17 and 18 constitute lmeans for securing the deflector-frame to I either side of the car-door, it being apparent i that by withdrawing the bolt' 20 the frame can be reversed and secured to the other side of the car-door whenever the direction of movement of the car is changed. The de- IOC cured in one or the other of a pair of. sockets 25,formed in the upper end of the door-frame, a fastening device, such as a bolt 26, being employed for securing the inner end of the I 5 bracing member E in either one of the sockets which constitute means for adjustably securing the inner end of the bracing member E to the car-door frame.

The means for delivering a mail-bag from the car to the receptacle B preferably comprises a delivery-cage F, which is carried by the inner side of the deflector-frame D, and preferably consists of an approximately semicircular plate 30, having a slot 31, the op- 25 posite ends of the plate being suitably secured to the inner side of the deflector-frame D. Adjacent the delivery-cage F the deflector-frame is formed with a suitable slot 32, through which extends the bent end 33 of a "releasing device G, which is pivoted at 34 on the outside of the deflector-frame D and is provided with a forward-bent end 35, which acts as a cam portion to contact with the cam member. 12 on the crane A, so as to be 5 ushedtoward the deflector-frame D, whereb the bent end 33 is withdrawn outward from the delivery-cage F. The forward end or cam ortion 35 of the releasing device preferab y is squared or broadened at its forward end, so that it will be sure to engage the cam member 12 and be operated thereby.

The deflector-frame 1) preferably is formed with the large cut-away portions 36 to decrease its weightand is also provided with small slots 37 which are adapted to be engaged by the forward end of the bracing member E when the deflector-frame is in one position or the other, as will be understood. The forward end of the bracing member E when projected through one or the other of the slots 37 is provided with a removable cotter-pin 38, said bracing member E having oppositely-extended pro ections 39, which bear against the inner side of the deflector- 5 5 frame D. It will be understood that when it isdes ired to reverse the deflector-frame the bolt2O is withdrawn, togetherwith the cotter-pin 38, andthe'deflectorframe is turned upsidedown and connected with the bracket on the opposite sideof the car-door. The bolt 26 at the inner end of the bracing member E is then'removed from one socket 25 and en-' gagedwiththe other socket 25, so as to change theposition of the inner=end of the bracing 6 member with relation to the deflector-frame} construction, as well as thoroughly efiicient The outer end of the bracing member E is of course fitted into the other slot 37 and secured therein by means of the cotter-pin 38, as shown.

When the device is in operation, the mailbag which is'intended for delivery to the car is placed upon one of the bag-receiving fingers 1 1, and the bag which is intended for delivery from the car is fitted by the mailclerk up into the delivery-cage F, and the ring at its upper end is engaged by the bent end 33 of the, releasing device G so as to hold the bag in suspended position. As the car moves by the crane A the deflector-frame D strikes one bag and deflects or throws it into the car, and the cam member 12 at the same time engages the cam portion 35 of the releasin device G, so as to release the bag in the de ivery-cage F and permit it to drop into the receptacle B. The camportion35is normally 8 5 pressed outward by means of a spring 40.

The improved arrangement of the mailbag-catching mechanism herein disclosed is strong, simple, durable, and inexpensive in in operation.

, In the following road-bed is intended to mean sleepers or steel rail, or both.

What is claimed is 1. In a mail-bag catcher, a mail-bag receptacle having a member projecting from one side thereof and secured to the road-bed and a crane connected with said receptacle.

2. In a mail-ba catcher, a mail-bag receptacle having a ange projecting over the road-bed and connected therewith, and a claims the expression either the G I mail-bag crane connected with said receptacle.

3. In a mail-bag catcher, the combination of a crane having a cam member and bag-receiving fingers, a car having a deflectorframe, a delivery-cage, and a bag-releasing device adapted to be actuated by contact with the cam member on the crane.

4. In a mail-bag catcher, the combination with a car, of a reversible deflector-frame having a slot, a slotted delivery-cage connected with the inner side of the frame, and a releasing device pivoted on the outer side-of the frame and having a bent end extending through the slot of the frame and the slot of the delivery-cage, said releasing device hav ing a campo rtion at its forwardendi; x}

5. A mail-bagcatchercom'risinga'crane having a cam member andv bag receivinglin gers, a car having a d'oor openingyacu ed deflector frame, means for securing the E fiec'tor-fr'ame to either side of thedoor p ing, a bracing member adapted tobecon nected with either the up'per orf thellower.

edge of the deflector-frame,TmeansE foi 'adj justably securing the bracing member to the o. the'inner side of'thedeflector-framef i'id a ijo releasing device pivotally connected with the my own I have hereto afiixed my signature outer side of the deflector-frame and having in the presence of two witnesses.

a bent end extending through the deflectorframe and delivery-cage, and a flared cam WILLIAM HORRALL' 5 portion at its forward end adapted to be en- Witnesses:

gaged by the cam member of the crane. F. J. BAKER,

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as MARY MURRAY. 

